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COLT NICHOLS
250 MX / 3RD
IMAGE / LANNAN WORDS / KUHLHOFF DESIGN / TILLS
>> After a seventh place overall last weekend at Budd’s Creek and fourteen top ten finishes this season, Colt Nichols arrived at Ironman ready to show us all what his is truly made of for the final round of this exciting season. The sweet smell of race fuel and the air horns of enthusiastic fans filled the Indiana valleys and hills
as the riders lined up for their final first moto of the year. The thirty-second card went up, the gates dropped. Colt Nichols found himself sitting in a familiar sev- enth place spot off the start, but this Yamalube Star Racing Yamaha rider was not ready to settle. The number 39 machine started quickly making moves and had moved into the fifth place position by the third lap. Nichols then made a pass on Cantrell, moving into fourth and then quickly finding himself in a battle for third with the number 486, Chase Sexton. The two were back and forth for a few laps until
a mistake by Sexton put Nichols in the third place spot, where he was able to stay until the checkered. With his first moto of the day resulting in his first ever podium, Colt Nichols had to have been bringing a newly found confidence with him to the starting line for the last 250 gate drop of the season. The thirty-second board exited the track and the riders were off. Colt Nichols found himself of to a great start as
he came out of the treacherous first turn in the fifth place position and soon passed Martin for fourth. After losing a spot to Nichols, it did not take long for Jeremy Martin to start putting the pressure back on. Before the end of the moto, Martin
was able to stick the pass on Nichols, but with an impressive 3-4 for the day, Colt Nichols left Ironman with third place and his first ever overall podium. Colt Nichols has had a solid year with consistent results and is able to end the outdoor season with a seventh place in overall points standings.
36 GRITMOTO • AUGUST 27, 2017